Ave Maria
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: Catherine turned to face Sara, and she immediately saw the tears that threatened to drown the woman who was producing them. Something deep inside told her that whatever had happened, someone wasn't walking away from it. And she hadn't seen Warrick or Gil.


Oh, wow. I just saw the scene where Warrick is killed, and poor Griss! I just wanna hug the poor baby! I've been on youtube like a fiend, and I stumbled across For Warrick. Well, pieces of it. And from what I saw, Sara comes back after finding out Warrick is dead. Well, this story is a bit AU in that aspect. Sara is already on her way and is just getting there when Warrick is killed. Anything beyond that, just remember that I'm still playing catchup, and I'm GSR obsessed. I felt that Sara should've been there sooner to take care of Gil, and this is what came of it. Enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: So not mine.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

Lights flashed all around her as Sara Sidle ran down that alley. All she could get was that a member of CSI was critically injured, but who it was no one seemed to know.

Ahead of her she spotted Nick sitting against a dirty wall, staring at his hands and shaking his head. It wasn't Nick... She approached him and gently touched his arm, but it didn't seem to register with him.

Knowing that she couldn't reach him and terrified to find out why, she pressed on. Catherine was up ahead of her, and as Sara came closer, she saw how badly the other woman was shaking. "Catherine?"

Catherine turned to face Sara, and Sara immediately saw the tears that threatened to drown the woman who was producing them. Something deep inside told her that whatever had happened, someone wasn't walking away from it. And she still hadn't seen Warrick or Gil.

She broke into a run when she finally saw two figures on the ground. One was squatting on the ground, rocking back and forth. The other was splayed out on the ground, and Sara couldn't tell if he was breathing.

It finally registered as she knelt down in the filth that Warrick was the one who wasn't breathing. A shudder went through her body as she looked at his glazed over eyes, those beautiful, sweet eyes. "Oh, God, Warrick..."

Grissom finally looked up at Sara's horrified whisper. "He's... he's gone..."

Shaking herself, Sara eased around Warrick's prone form, over to Grissom. As she got closer, bile crept up her throat when she saw that he was covered in blood. Instinctively her hands moved over him, the movements as gentle as a lover's caress.

He didn't respond at all to the touch, and finally she wrapped one arm around his shoulders, gently drawing him against her. Then she used her free hand to cradle his head.

He fought against her grip for a moment. She had left him when he needed her. But God, just being in her arms again... Then he saw Warrick's lifeless eyes again, and he suddenly twisted and buried himself in her arms, clinging to her desperately.

Sara swallowed her own grief and dropped completely to her knees, running her hand through Grissom's hair. Nothing appropriate to say would come to her mind, so she remained silent as she continued to rock him back and forth.

Slowly each of the remaining members of the team encircled them, as though they were protecting their boss and friend.

Sara was aware of their friends surrounding them, but she didn't acknowledge them. Her complete focus was on Grissom, who was trembling in her arms. She had let him down once, and she had absolutely no intention of doing it again.

Nicky finally knelt down beside Sara, making no attempt to hide his tears as he said, "Sara, they have to take him." He glanced over at Warrick, and more tears escaped.

Sara nodded slowly and turned, relieved when Grissom turned with her. She continued to whisper to him and caress his arm as Warrick was carefully and respectfully moved.

Nick couldn't bring himself to stay by Grissom and Sara. He followed after them, determined to make sure Warrick was taken care of.

Catherine watched Sara comforting Grissom, and she bit down on her lower lip. "Take him home, Sara," she finally suggested, wiping stubbornly at her eyes. "Take care of him." It still wasn't registering in her mind that Warrick was really gone. She loved him, and she had never said a word about it. She had been so stupid, thinking that he would always be there. If there was anything her line of work had taught her, it was that no one lived forever. And it was usually the best who were taken like this.

Sara looked up at her and nodded slowly, then brought her lips down to Grissom's ear. What she said, she would never repeat to anyone else. But it made him nod, and she looked relieved as she helped him to his feet.

He was unsteady and his eyes were filled with tears as he leaned heavily on Sara. Everything seemed so surreal, so intangible. At any minute he'd wake up and go to the lab, and he'd find Warrick in the locker room flirting with Catherine or having it out with Nick. Tomorrow he'd have dinner with his favored CSI, not plan his funeral.

Sara gently grasped his arm and pulled it around her neck, hoping he'd be able to make it to her car. He barely seemed coherent, and she held him tighter. She could see her car, and finally they reached it.

Casting one final glance at the dark and dank alley, Sara quickly helped Grissom into the passenger's seat. Then she shut the door and got into the driver's side.

Grissom stared blankly ahead, the only signs indicating that he was even breathing was the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

She shoved the key into the ignition, then turned in her seat and watched him. "Gil..."

He heard her, but lacked the will to respond.

She reached out and gently smoothed his hair back, then took the steering wheel and drove away.

As they drove down the highway, he finally stirred out of his stupor and looked at Sara. His vision blurred, and he hoarsely whispered, "He didn't... He didn't want to die, Sara..."

She nodded, understanding, and took his hand. "Talk to me."

They both knew he'd have to talk about it sooner or later.

He covered his face with his free hand and fell back into silence. He couldn't bring himself to say anything else, so he rested his head against the window and sighed heavily.

Sara squeezed his hand. She wasn't going to force him to talk right now. That part would come soon enough. Instead she focused on the road in front of them. She knew the way to his home by heart, and in twenty minutes she was parking the car in front of his apartment building.

He didn't make a sound as she got out and came around to his side, then helped him out of the car. He simply let her lead him inside, and he wasn't surprised when she produced a key to his apartment and unlocked the door.

As soon as they were inside, she kicked her shoes off and tossed her purse aside. Then she took his hand again and led him into the bathroom. The blood on his clothes, arms and hands reeked. He didn't fight her as she stood in front of him and silently unbuttoned his shirt, then pushed it off of his shoulders.

He wouldn't make eye contact, she noted as she silently stripped him of his undershirt. Then she turned toward the sink and grabbed a clean washcloth. She then turned the warm water on and dampened the cloth.

Shame nipped at him as she took his arm. But his mind was also focused on his grief over Warrick. "Someone... has to call his grandmother..."

She nodded, slowly wiping his arm clean of blood. "Catherine will take care of that."

"I should do it..."

She shook her head and moved to his chest, where the blood had soaked through the material of his shirt.

He dropped his chin to his chest and sighed heavily.

Finally he was clean, and she threw the cloth into the clothes hamper. Then she took him by the hand and led him into his bedroom. It hadn't changed at all, she noted as he collapsed onto the bed of his own volition. She stood there and watched him for a minute.

He finally opened his eyes when he realized that she hadn't left. "Sara..."

She sat down on the bed beside him, then drew her legs up and rested her head on his broad, comforting chest.

He hesitated for several long minutes before he finally lifted his arm and wrapped it around her.

She relaxed into him, resting her hand on his arm.

"Why... why did you come back...?" he finally wondered hoarsely.

She propped her head up and looked at him. "Because... I missed you," she said simply. And it was the truth. Every day that she had been gone, that hole in her heart had only grown larger and larger. And the only way to repair it was to do exactly what she was doing right now.

He finally looked at her, skeptical.

"I did."

"Did you... finally put those ghosts to rest?" he wondered.

She nodded. "Yeah... I did."

Finally he rolled onto his side and buried his face in her shoulder. He knew that there was always that chance she could change her mind. The chance that she would be gone with the morning light. But right now, he needed her, more than he had ever needed anyone before.

Sara's arms slid around him, drawing him tightly against her. Then she rested her head against his and sighed heavily.

He closed his eyes, exhaustion seeping into his bones.

She tightened her grip on him and gently cradled his head in her hand. Tomorrow was going to come all too soon. But for now, right here in his bed, she felt like she could keep him safe. She could protect him.

He let out a mournful sigh and buried his face deeper into her shoulder.

A pair of eyes watched them from the foot of the bed, and Sara glanced over. Hank's tail began wagging furiously, and she smiled and patted the bed.

He eagerly jumped onto the bed and wiggled up to Grissom's back, then sighed contently.

Sara reached over Grissom and scratched Hank's ear, then settled down with Grissom again. She could tell he was fighting desperately against his exhaustion, and instead of encouraging him to sleep, she simply held him. She knew that it would put him to sleep faster than anything.

He gripped Sara tighter as the scene replayed over and over in his mind. Running to the car, pulling a wounded and bleeding Warrick out and onto the dirty sidewalk... His fingers clutched desperately at the fabric of her shirt.

"Shh..."

The warmth of the blood spilling onto his hands... taking Warrick's life with it... His eyes fading as he held his dying friend in his arms and screamed for help, screamed for Warrick to stay with him. He couldn't die. But he was.

When he heard her soothing voice, he pulled away and rolled onto his opposite side, away from her.

Sara sighed and scooted up to him, draping her arm over his waist. Then she tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

He tensed, but as she whispered soft and gentle words, as her hand moved over his chest lovingly, he found himself relaxing against his will. "Are you going to stay?"

Her hand paused. "What?"

He closed his eyes. "Are you going to stay now?"

Her hand resumed stroking his chest. "Yeah, Gil, I am. I'm not going anywhere."

He wiped at his eyes. "Really?"

She nodded. "Of course."

He finally relaxed against her, letting his eyes drift shut again.

She cuddled him closer, kissing his hair. She hadn't lied to him. Before all of this she had been on a plane back. All of her boxes were packed, and she had arranged for them to be brought back to Las Vegas, though she wasn't exactly sure where they were going to be brought.

She looked down at him and kissed his temple. That didn't really matter now. She could take care of it tomorrow.

They could talk about everything tomorrow.

Tomorrow...

The End

A/N: So, what do you guys think? Like I said, I'm still catching up, and this is also my first post ep! Yay! Hopefully my next one will be my take on Dead Doll/ Living Doll. The end of that is so, so sweet. And there is SO much to be done with it! Thanks for reading, everyone, and please remember to review!


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